


It seemed a good idea at the time

by grassangel



Series: Always This [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Animagus, F/F, Female Friendship, Ficlet Collection, Gen, Hair Brushing, Kissing, Marauders' Era, Not Necessarily Platonic Either, Not Necessarily Sexual Physical Affection, Polyamory, Rule 63, Undressing, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-09-28
Updated: 2012-09-28
Packaged: 2017-11-15 05:20:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/523590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grassangel/pseuds/grassangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rule 63 poly!Marauders ficlets, because why not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ~~Three~~ Four sentence fic. Contrived grammar and punctuation ahead. Unchanged names, because I'm not entirely convinced 'Ursula' is a good genderswap name for Sirius, even though it's better than 'Siri'.

They're cousins, of a sort, so of course Sirius gravitates towards James on that first night at Hogwarts, especially since Gryffindor isn't the proper House for a Black heir (even if they are a girl) and there are no other familiar faces.

Their friendship cements however, at breakfast the next week, when James ponders out loud how best to prank the Slytherins and Sirius literally jumps in to add her ideas, nearly upsetting a jam pot into her lap and elbowing her neighbour in the face. (Later, that same girl, oatmeal still visible on her collar, quietly sits next to them in History of Magic and softly requests if she could join in on their plan – they need a third wand, so they say yes.)

It changes, late in third year, from good natured camaraderie to something softer and altogether more frightening when James finds her in the bathroom during a break, her arms half furred and panicky sobs seizing her chest — it takes most of Charms, a constant whispering stream of reassurances and the soft fall of James's lips against hers that Sirius calms down enough to concentrate on the exercises they'd been working on to turn her arms back to their human form.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three sentence fic, unchanged names, Sirius/Remus.

After five years of sharing a dormitory together, privacy doesn't really matter: which is why Sirius is stretched out on her bed, half-asleep and still in her robes, watching Remus get undressed.

Her stretch marks catch the light –a network of scarring that runs underneath the bites and scratches of a full moon, a silver filigree that marks where her thighs, hips and chest have grown into curves– and Sirius has to stifle a laugh at that thought.

Remus hears the noise anyway, Sirius shaking her head when she looks askance, but finishes brushing out her hair and putting on her nightclothes – patterned skin catching the light and Sirius' eye – before sitting next to Sirius's head, hairbrush in hand.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petra likes being a rat. She's not much in either form, but it's easier as a rat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unchanged names for James, Sirius and Remus.

Petra liked being a rat. She was nothing much normally; short, a little bit too soft around the edges with thin hair that was neither brown nor blonde and forever spilling her breakfast down her front. Entirely forgettable, especially when she stood beside Sirius or James. Even when she was walking with Remus other students would come up to ask the prefect a question, entirely ignoring that Petra had been in a conversation with her.

A rat was still small and easily overlooked, and rats were never considered as a particularly regal animal, but as a rat Petra's fur is glossy and tipped with dark brown. She is slender and nimble enough to fetch the knuts and sickles which have found their way down into the springs of the Marauder's favourite sofa in the common room. Even getting messy is easily taken care of, a few quick swipes of her paws and everything is neatly taken care of – which is more than can be said for James, who has to find something to rub against, or for Sirius, who can't help but scratch herself with her hind legs.

The best thing though, Petra thinks as James feeds her a bit of candied almond, getting sugar all over her charms homework, is that no one complained when she went to bed early, complaining of stomach cramps or a headache, and came down as Wormtail. The rest of them don't exactly exclude her, but it's easier to be the centre of attention, to receive the little pets and touches they exchange everyday when she's in her animagus form. Remus gets antsy when she reads with her head in her lap for more than an hour, but will happily spend an entire afternoon with Wormtail in it, one hand lazily stroking her fur while she holds a book in the other. Even Sirius, who always spends twenty minutes each morning coaxing James' hair into submission yet only spends five on Petra's if she asks, will sit down with an old toothbrush and brush her fur until she wriggles away, skin tingling from over stimulation.  
Even Linden, who summarily dismisses the four of them as pranksters and valiantly ignores all of James' attempts at flirtation, laughs and announces, "What a clever rat!" when Wormtail runs along the back of the sofa and nibbles at his hair.


End file.
